


A  Kindness of Strangers

by Mareel



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Related, Episode: s03e19 Damage, Episode: s03e21 E2, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-30
Updated: 2013-07-30
Packaged: 2017-12-21 21:13:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/905007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mareel/pseuds/Mareel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paid forward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A  Kindness of Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fork-in-the-road AU based on the events of the Season 3 episodes "Damage" and "E2". What if Jonathan Archer had chosen NOT to take a warp coil from an Illyrian ship by force in order to be able to make it to a crucial rendezvous? It was a moral quagmire of a decision, and this AU explores an alternative outcome. It is Jonathan's voice.

 

“Archer to Commander Tucker. Engineering status update…”

“Tucker here. If you’re gonna ask about repairs, there’s no change. We’re not quite dead in the water, but we’re stuck on impulse drive. No warp coil, no warp drive. Sorry, Cap’n. I wish I had better news.”

“Do you best, Trip. Archer out.”

“Set a course for the coordinates Degra gave us for the rendezvous, Travis. Full impulse, or as much as you can get.”

____________________________________________________

 

“You made the right decision, Jonathan. We couldn’t just strand them here, years from their homeworld.”

Malcolm’s voice is meant to be reassuring, as is his hand on mine. I hope he never knows how close I came to doing just that… to ordering him to lead a boarding party to take the part by force from the already damaged Illyrian ship. But he’s right. In the end, I couldn’t do it. 

It’s hard to keep defeat out of my voice though. “We might have just condemned ourselves to that fate… a slow death compared to what Earth will experience if the Xindi weapon isn’t stopped.”

Malcolm offers what silent comfort he can, and I’m grateful again that he has stayed with me throughout this mission. It would test any relationship, and we’ve had our disagreements, but he’s made it clear that his commitment was for better and for worse. 

“Maybe Degra will trace our planned vector and come looking for us.” Even as I say the words aloud, I know how unlikely that is. My relationship with Degra is new and fragile, still untested. He would see little to gain by risking his ship, his crew, and his Council position to meet with an enemy of his people; his offered rendezvous was already risky. 

“Perhaps he…” Malcolm’s thought is interrupted by a comm signal from the Bridge. 

“T’Pol to Captain Archer. You’re needed on the Bridge. A ship is approaching, and they’re hailing us.”

“On my way. Xindi?”

“No. I don’t recognize them.”

____________________________________________________

 

Malcolm relieves his second at Tactical as I study the ship on the viewscreen. Definitely not anything familiar. “Open a channel please, Hoshi.” I take a deep breath and begin my standard greeting. “This is Captain Jonathan Archer… “

“Of the _Enterprise_ , yes. I am Erkaanis of the Ikaaran science vessel _Telaara_. We are responding to a distress call, but I thought the vessel was Illyrian.”

I shoot a look first at Malcolm and then at T’Pol, surprised by his introduction. “We also responded to that distress call. We provided what assistance we could and they have departed.”

At least in translation, the Ikaaran’s voice sounds almost puzzled. “But you, and the _Enterprise_ , are traveling very slowly. Are you also researching this star system?”

I have little choice but to extend a bit of trust. “We are also in distress. Our warp engines were damaged in an attack by a hostile species. The Illyrians were unable to help us, so we’re proceeding at our best pace.”

“Perhaps we could be of some assistance. You’re far from home, as are we.”

“That would be worth discussing. If an engineer could accompany you, we can meet here on _Enterprise_.”

Motioning to Malcolm and T’Pol to join me, I head for the docking port, hoping it’s not too damaged to permit a link-up.

____________________________________________________

 

After introductions, Trip and the Ikaaran engineer huddle over an engine schematic and Erkaanis asks a question I don’t expect. “Do you always stop to render assistance when you receive a distress call?”

I nod slowly. “Yes, when we can, without jeopardizing the ship’s safety. The anomalies in this region can be treacherous to approach. Fortunately the Illyrian ship hadn’t suffered irreparable damage.” I pause, still puzzled by the conversation. “It appears that you do as well… reply to distress calls.”

He shakes his head in what must be the Ikaaran gesture of agreement. “We try. Not all travelers in this region would do so. May I tell you something that happened a long time ago, when one of our ships was in distress?”

“Of course.” I know Malcolm and T’Pol share my curiosity. Our contact with the Illyrians had been very much all business. These people seem different. And we’re not going anywhere unless our warp drive can be repaired.

“An Ikaaran research vessel was heavily damaged by an anomaly a few light years from here. It was being slowly torn apart, and there were numerous casualties. No one answered their distress beacon for days, though other ships passed by. Finally one ship did stop to offer what assistance they could – they were able to rescue seventeen crewmembers, although the ship itself was unsalvageable. Many others had been killed when several sections of the vessel were distorted by the anomaly. The ship that rescued them was called _Enterprise_.”

T’Pol speaks up first. “That seems most unlikely. This is the first time Humans have ventured into this region that we term the Delphic Expanse.”

Erkaanis replies quietly. “Nevertheless, it is true. One of those rescued was my foremother. She had been the navigator. She and about half of the others chose to return to Ikaara when a freighter offered passage a few months after the rescue.”

I’m intrigued now. “And the others?” 

“They remained on _Enterprise_. That ship and crew had been temporally displaced, and were unable to return to their own time. They were striving to become a multi-generational ship, attempting to survive the years of the displacement in order to complete a mission of importance to them. My foremother’s best friend had been a science officer. Esilia was the first to decide to stay. She felt she owed a great debt to that ship’s captain and wanted to do all she could to help them succeed.”

“That Captain? Who was it?”

He looks at me, meeting my gaze directly. “ _Jonathan Archer_. It’s a name passed down in my family as someone to remember. For his kindness to strangers. I never expected to meet him.” He turned to look directly at Malcolm. “Or to meet his partner, Malcolm Reed.”

My doubts must be written all over my face. How is this even possible… and how is it not? We must be very close to the point in time where the shift he is describing actually takes place. I can almost hear the calculations going on in T’Pol’s head right now, and Malcolm looks wary as he crosses his arms over his chest, hoping for more information. Erkaanis correctly interprets our stunned silence. 

“You are having a hard time believing this. I understand that it can’t be easy."

“Thank you for telling us this, Erkaanis. You’re right, I don’t know how it could be, but you know things that no one on a randomly passing ship would know.”

He copies my nod this time. “I hope we will be able to assist you with your warp drive. I will return to my ship and arrange to transfer whatever supplies are necessary. I’m honored to have met you, Captain… and you, Lieutenant Reed. When I saw you by his side I knew I had to tell you all I knew.”

“Thank you. You’ve given us a lot to think about. And your assistance may have just helped save my entire world.”

 


End file.
